South Africa have suspended their head coach, Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba, 24 hours after he led them to a 2-1 World Cup qualifying win over Senegal.
Goals from Thulani Hlatshwayo and Ajax Amsterdam’s Thulani Serero helped South Africa pick up three points in Limpopo on Saturday, with the former Sunderland striker Dame Ndoye replying for Senegal. That left Bafana level on points with Burkina Faso at the top of Group D after two rounds of matches but the real drama was reserved for after the final whistle.
Mashaba took almost an hour after the game to appear at the post-match press conference and then sparked controversy with his comments, which were believed to have been aimed at the South African Football Association (Safa) president, Danny Jordaan. Asked what the victory over Senegal meant to his side, Mashaba responded: “It’s a second lease of life. I was dead already.”
On Sunday Safa released a statement confirming that Mashaba would not travel with the team for Tuesday’s friendly in Mozambique due to “disciplinary reasons”.
“Safa has deemed it necessary to employ disciplinary measures after a regrettable incident at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday,” read the statement.
“Assistant coach Owen da Gama will take charge of the team in the international friendly match against Mozambique on Tuesday in Maputo. As is our custom in matters such as these, the association will not be making any further comments on this matter out of respect for the dignity of the head coach and the association and the legally privileged nature of such proceedings.”
Mashaba, 66, was sacked as South Africa coach on the eve of the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations and is in his second spell in the post. He was heavily criticised after failing to qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon.
Elsewhere Egypt moved to the top of Group E on Sunday after beating Ghana 2-0 in Alexandria while Everton’s Yannick Bolasie scored the winner as Democratic Republic of Congo came from behind to beat Guinea and move level on points with Tunisia at the top of Group A.
